Lloyd Bannings vs. Yin - Demon In The Woods

"Yes, Chief Sergei. All the formalities are settled. I've been assigned a room and everything. Only the Head Officer amongst AFW security knows about the investigation.....No, nothing concrete yet. But I'll inquire further after my debut match today. I'm on in a few minutes actually. Wish me luck out ther-"


Lloyd winced from the Chief of his department reading him the riot act over his cellphone before ending the call himself, haggardly reaffirming with bellowed authority what the plucky police cadet's actual assignment was. And winning matches was most decidedly not it. The auburn-haired youth sighing with a hint of exasperation before placing his phone in his tote bag and securing his belongings away, afterward putting the final adjustment on his ring attire whilst within the locker-room. As if he could forget what brought him into such a strange environment. However, as a police officer he was well aware that he had little control over where a lawman was needed. He just never expected his first assignment would be in spandex trunks...he could hear his older brother's jokes already. Although another unexpected turn of events was Lloyd coming into the friendship of an AFW employee with a frigid disposition, but a veiled sadness he felt. Well, he hoped she would consider them friends. Odds are high she may not even remember his name if they ever meet once more. He just hopes he won't be chastised for flirting again whenever that time comes...

Warrior Inside:

Once his theme starts playing, it isn't until the tempo and uplifting lyrics kick in that the Blazing Tiger makes his steadied approach from behind the blackened curtains. Competitive determination etched on his smirking facials after he was debuted to an unexpected but rather impressive pop from the vocal audience. Taking the youthful cadet by surprise but he appreciated it all the same as he strode down the rampway, adrenaline coursing from the excitement of the moment and his rocking theme song. Thankfully masking the butterflies fluttering within his breadbasket as he started performing some breathing exercises to help settle his nerves while arriving at the ring. Lloyd striding around while taking in the gigantic stadium attendance and understanding the gravity of the moment, taking his time in handing off his jacket to the time keeper before rolling inside the ring. Momentum unbroken, the cadet makes his way to the pin-striped official who checks himself for illegal weaponry or contraband. Lloyd than retreating to his corner and readies himself for whatever is coming, rotating his shoulders and taking a crouched stance...

Lloyd Bannings:

"I didn't expect the Tokyo Police Department would send in an officer to investigate the federation." The purple haired man reviewed the contents of the dossier that sat opened within his palm. The eyes behind his glasses narrowed, a clear sign to Yin that Cao Lee was deep in thought.

White Orchid Dragon:

Demon of the East:

"Do you believe Heiyue's presence here has been exposed?" The masked girl asked, wearing her wrestling leotard.

"Based on the details of the conversion you held with him, it is highly unlikely." Cao snapped the dossier shut with his hand. "The police would never send such a lowly mutt here if they knew that our organisation was involved. Still, the fact that they actually bothered to send someone suggests they have an inkling as to shady dealings taking place in the shadows. You were wise in bringing this to my attention, Yin. I've arranged the necessary steps. Lloyd Bannings will be arriving in the ring momentarily." That cold, calculating smirk that Yin was so familiar to surfaced on Cao's expression. "Be sure to make an example of him."

"That may be tricky." Yin folded her arms. "I'm unaware of who is informed that he is a member of law enforcement. If I say too much, it could expose my true identity."

"Then say nothing. Regardless of the approach you decide to take, I'm sure that's a issue you will have no trouble handling." Cao tucked the dossier under his arm, both hands sliding into his pockets. "I'll be watching from the audience. Oh, and I've made sure your entrance has a certain...impact, as requested. Make the most of it, won't you?"

Yin folded her arms, watching him leave their room backstage. She cast a frigid look into the mirror of her dressing room, the eyes hidden under her mask filled with sadness.

"Forgive me for what I must do, Lloyd..."

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The air of the arena is certainly electric as Lloyd makes his entrance and settles into the ring. The crowd's attention, as well as his no doubt, shifts towards the entry ramp. His opponent would surely arrive any second now...

*CLICK*

The lights abruptly cut out, plunging the stadium into pitch black darkness. There were gasps and a couple of screams from the audience, wondering if a power cut had just taken place. Then, music began to play. Flashes from above emerged as light flooded the arena once more. As the crowd adjusted to having their sight back, some of them made surprised noises. Many of them pointed towards the ring. Something was there that hadn't been pre-darkness. No. Someone.

Lloyd would see a shadow cast over him. If he turned around, he would catch sight of the Demon of the East. Arms folded under her prominent chest, standing tall and firm upon the steel turnbuckle like a ninja stood atop a castle. Head tilted slightly, staring down at him, but with the top half of her face obscured by the mask.

"So you're the opponent I've been tasked with facing tonight?" Knees bending, Yin vaulted off the steel pole, her body twisting through the air and illuminated by the skylights above. The crowd letting out noises of awe as she fell to her feet, crouching in front of Lloyd, before rising slowly up. Walking forward to assess him closely, with hands lowering from under her chest to rest upon her hips, she leaned so close that Lloyd might feel as though he was being trapped in the corner by her. "Hm. You certainly have a handsome face. And a toned build. I suspect you may be unaware as to who you face. I am Yin, Demon of the East. And those who enter the ring against me tend to leave in a...less than ideal condition, shall we say."

"Be warned. I will not hold anything back against you. When the bell rings, I will come at you with the intent to make you leave here on a stretcher. It would be in your best interest to roll back out and never grace this ring again." Though her threat might come across as condescending, she was honestly trying to reason with him in the hope that the officer would back out and give up the match, along with his investigation. That way, she could avoid seriously hurting him. "I will give you one chance to leave. Knowing this, do you still intend to stand in this ring against me?"

Though he would be unable to see them, the eyes under Yin's mask were begging Lloyd silently. "Please say no, please just walk away..."

Lloyd couldn't help but wonder as to how professional wrestlers can remain so focused and vigil at times like these. Isolated within this vast open ring space in the middle of a gigantic arena as the center of attention for scores of judgmental eyes alongside countless more over the world. This was a far cry from the emptied gymnasiums and training halls where his police and subsequent wrestling training would unfold. The anticipation, the self-doubt, the anxiety...simply standing here was nerve-wracking. One must truly possess an unshakeable will and unflinching resolve to consider this your profession, let alone excel at it to the point of sheer super stardom. Therapeutic breathing techniques were helping Lloyd settle down his nerves, but one of these days Lloyd was intending on asking around backstage to see if their was any advice veterans could bestow on how best to cope with these issues and improve his wrestling game. In the meantime, he was beginning to wonder wher-

"Huh?! Is this part of the show?!" A flummoxed Lloyd asked to what he assumed was the referee right beside him after pitch blackness enshrouded the arena, the official in question unable to respond as she was being fed information through her headset this very moment. Emergency response instincts were starting to kick in for Lloyd wondering if this was a total arena blackout, although the answer to his question would come with Yin's theme being played and the vague sensation of a presence behind him. The arena illuminating to unveil the shadowed culprit to Lloyd's balking surprise, than backpedaling to around mid-ring where the nimble demoness would spryly land after several acrobatic spirals in mid-air. The rookie officer scarcely having time to process all that was transpiring before he was confronted not only with the vigilant masked beauty but also her...oddly complimentary ultimatum. Lloyd babbling a bit before clearing his throat and hopefully clearing his thoughts as well.

"W-Well...*ahem*...you're right. I...can't say that I am overtly familiar with your reputation within the ring, Yin. Malicious and heinous though it appears to be. However, I suspect anyone who enters through those ropes does so knowing full well that they are putting themselves at risk for extensive bodily harm, and accepting the hazards inherent with this profession. Not to mention I've reasons of my own for continuing to walk this path of mine, ones of far more noble intent than my own selfish pride that are at stake. So, I'm afraid I intend to stay within this ring right where I am. Although I appreciate you showing concern on my behalf by issuing the warning. You may just yet be a warrior whose as noble as you are beautiful..." Lloyd caught himself at the end there, a slight blush forming with widened eyes as he took a step back and shook his head a little. Realizing he may have said too much while adopting a grappling stance. "S-Sorry, you understand my meaning. Expect nothing but my best as well, Yin..."

Predictably, the detective was left startled by the arena's sudden plunge into darkness. Cao had certainly made good on his promise to ensure her entrance had the necessary impact. As Yin performed her awe-inspiring acrobatics and landed curtly into the ring, she observed his reaction with intrigue, as well as a strong, perhaps futile belief that he may just heed her warning and duck out under the ropes. Alas, he didn't seem interested in entertaining her proposal to leave here tonight unharmed. That left the masked female feeling crestfallen, inwardly sighing. Yet Lloyd had made his choice. As long as she was Yin, she couldn't show restraint against him. "I see. So you believe your own 'noble intent' justifies your presence within this ring. Some would be inclined to deem that as arrogance, Lloyd."

"But you have made your choice. I must admit, I'm curious to see whether if your resolve is strong enough to overcome the Demon of the East. Let us see if your words hold weight or are merely empty." The girl was about to assume her own grappling stance, until she caught word of Lloyd complimenting her. "...I..." The faintest hue of pink could be seen rising upon her cheeks, as the cogs within her head shifted and turned while she processed exactly what the male had said. "Hm. Your real intent is to flirt with me, is it? A smooth talking playboy who thinks he can charm his female opponents to victory? I think you'll find I am not so easily swayed by types such as you."

*DING DING DING!*

No sooner had the bell run than Yin was instantly in Lloyd's range, the masked beauty making use of her speed to close the gap between them in an instant. Her body twisted as if she enveloped by wind itself. Standing upon one leg as she completed the motion, the other would rise off the ground and follow her movement as the heel thrust out towards Lloyd's abdominal region. A textbook roundhouse kick, aimed straight at his gut.

Upon thoroughly dissecting the situation along with Yin's proposal in a manner similar to an acclaimed surgeon with a sparkled scalpel, Lloyd allowed his own reasoning and deduction skills to guide his ultimate decision. Fellow cadets back at the police academy frequently mocked him as a bit of a nebbish bookworm for his over-analyzing methods and logic-driven thought processes when it came to criminology. But it was those same characteristics that the instructors told him would make him a superb detective one day, perhaps even police commissioner. While Lloyd was certainly taken aback at the prospect of him attaining such a lofty position, it helped strengthen his waning self-confidence at the time and emboldened him enough to strengthen those skills until he was capable of stalwartly standing by his principles on this day. Dissecting Yin's argument and even offering up a theory of his own that the Demon was inadvertently showcasing a compassionate side just by offering him the chance to retreat instead of risking egregious bodily harm upon himself.

Lloyd was feeling particularly proud of his thoughtful rebuttal...until he realized he definitely should have quit while he was ahead. The last few words leaving his mouth quicker than he could take them back and not even knowing where that last thought came from. "N-No, I'm no playboy!!! Honest!!! I was just trying to offer you a genuine compliment and it came out way different that I thought it would!!! I think that might just be one of my co-workers’ lecherous thoughts rubbing off on me!!!" Lloyd balked with rampant explanations as to why he came off like a suave casanova towards the end, standing up from his grappling stance with his hands waving about as he tried in vain to set the record straight between them. Noticeably unprepared for the ringing of the bell and the windswept Demon it unleashed upon him as he backpedaled with a studdered step from Yin's blistering advance. The roundhouse kick exploding against his breadbasket and sending the detective barreling backward until strewn against the ropes, hacking and coughing as he attempted using them to ascend back up to his feet.